Communicate Well

How well do you communicate across generations? If you are a few decades old, can you speak the language of the teenager? If you are a teenager, can you speak the language of the elderly? Is it important to you to be able to communicate across generations?

Communication is the key to relationships. If communication is poor, the relationship will be poor. It does not matter if we have wonderful things to offer, if we don’t communicate well. That applies to generational and cultural differences in communication.

The Apostle Paul knew that communication was important to building relationships. He knew that building relationships was how he could spread the gospel. He states in today’s passage that he became all things to all people, so that he could save them through the gospel. He made it a priority to learn to identify with and communicate with people of various backgrounds.

We would do good to learn this lesson from Paul. Learning to communicate with different generations and cultures will allow us to build relationships, which can lead to spreading the gospel and saving people. After all, each of us has been given the great commission, even if we are not all evangelists.

This may mean learning to speak with people we work with in a way they understand our meaning. It may mean we learn cultural values, so we can effectively relate to their situation. It certainly means we must set aside our own preferences, put ourselves in the other persons shoes, and have conversations that are meaningful to them. If we are unwilling to do that, we are unwilling to carry out Jesus’ command to spread the gospel.

I pray we all decide to learn to communicate with all people. I pray we seek to understand their culture and language. I pray each one of us desire to spread the gospel effectively to all people. Learn the language. Learn the culture. Seek to understand. Spread the gospel. Save people.

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23 I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Obligation

What obligations do you have? Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of them? Have you taken time to list your obligations? How many of them are obligations and how many are things you want to do? Do you know you have an obligation to God?

Our to-do lists may be longer than our arms. We may be so busy we feel we cannot take time to list all we need to do. Our list is maintained in our heads, which leads to us forgetting to do something. We feel overwhelmed, which can lead to depression.

Despite what many may think, as a pastor I understand. My wife has said I am busier now than when I worked as an enterprise architect for a large IT company. She is 100% correct. Unless you are a pastor or married to one or a child of one, you don’t fully comprehend all they have on their plates. The work is never done, even though they often work ten or more hours per day.

There are many jobs like that. It is especially true the higher in management you ascend. By the time you reach middle management, forty-five-to-fifty-hour weeks become normal. On top of that, there are family commitments. Throw in vacation and recreational events, and there is no time left for personal time.

Yet, just as Paul states he is obligated to proclaim the gospel, so are we. We call it the great commission. It is the commission Jesus gave the apostles…and to us. Why does Paul carry out his obligation? So that the gospel is given free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:18). We should have the mindset of Paul. Bringing eternal life to others without looking for any return other than the joy of seeing people come to Christ and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.

I pray we all seek to fulfill our obligation to God. I pray we prioritize our to-do lists to we can spread the gospel. I pray each one of us will set a goal to bring at least one person to Christ every year. Fulfill your obligation to God. Spread the gospel. Bring someone to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!

Dedicate Yourself to Prayer

How often do you pray? What priority do you place on prayer? Do you pray every day? Do you pray multiple times per day? What are your prayers composed of? Do they include thanksgiving? Do they include praise? Or are they only composed of wants?

Prayer should be an important part of our daily lives. Often our prayers include our wants. We ask for healing of a loved one or ourselves. We ask God to guide us in the search for a job. We may occasionally thank him for specific blessings or answer to our requests.

There is nothing wrong with making requests of God. In fact, Jesus tells us to make our requests. He even states that anything we ask will be given to us…if it is in accordance with God’s will. That “if” can be a test of our faith. We wonder why God doesn’t heal a loved one. We may even blame him for the person being ill. We must remember that God does not cause the illness, we live in a broken world. But he also may choose not to heal the person for a reason we do not understand…yet.

But how dedicated are we to prayer? We see Jesus got up early to spend time in prayer with the Father. This after a long night of healing people and casting out demons. He knew that He must rely on the Father to guide Him along the path laid out for Him. He knew He needed to submit to the Father’s will to be the perfect Lamb of God.

We, too, need to dedicate time for prayer, for conversation with the Father. It is in our conversations with the Father that we grow our relationship with him. It is through conversation we gain an understanding of who God is and what he desires for us and how we fit into his will. Through our dedicated conversations with him our prayers become more in line with his will, and we see more of our prayers answered the way we want because our will is the same as his.

I pray we all dedicate time to be in conversation with God daily. I pray we seek to know God’s will. I pray each one of us will align our will with God’s will and our prayers become more effective. Dedicate time for prayer. Spend time in conversation with God. Align your will with his.

Mark 1:35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

Healing Touch

How special is touch to you? Does it bring you comfort when you are sad? Does a hug from a family member bring you joy? Does it depend on who is touching you? Do you consider touch part of being sociable with others? Do you consider touch to be part of healing?

Touching can bring us great joy. It can provide us comfort when needed. Generally speaking, we all need human touch. Of course, it should be the right touch at the right time. When it is, it can be healing for our soul. It can be an expression of caring and love.

Touching is far more a part of our lives than we realize. Whether it is holding hands or a caring caress, patting someone on a shoulder or a playful slug to the shoulder, a handshake or a sportsman’s hug. Touching occurs throughout our daily lives.

Touching is especially important when we seek to comfort one another. Praying with someone who is sick typically includes holding their hands. When someone is grieving, we often hug them and allow them to cry on our shoulder. It is often the touch that provides the healing we need.

Have you noticed that most of the healings Jesus performed include touch? Today’s passage is just one example of how Jesus touched someone and healed them. Jesus took Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand and her fever left her. It is the compassion of Jesus that comes through in His touch. Our compassion can also be reflected in our touch.

I pray we all express our compassion through touch. I pray we provide comfort through touch. I pray each one of us receive the healing touch of Jesus in our lives. Be compassionate. Comfort one another. Express your compassion through touch. Provide comfort with a hug. Experience the healing touch of Jesus.

Mark 1:30-31 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Sinning Against Christ

Most of us don’t want to hear about sin. We have heard about sin for most of our lives. We have been beaten down by it. We are all too aware of the sin in our lives. Or are we?

We have our list of what we consider to be sin. There are what we call the big sins, such as stealing, murder, and adultery. We may have our personal list of other things we like to do but know they do not please God.

We may not think many of our daily interactions can be sin. Think about some of your recent encounters with others. Did you wound them by something you said? Did you purposely trip them up or make them feel small and insignificant?

Family encounters can be a challenge. Siblings often fight and argue. Brothers wrestle in the backyard and in the house. Sisters argue over the bathroom and who borrowed whose shirt. We also see or hear of siblings who demean one another for sport.

But notice what Paul tells the Corinthians, when we belittle our family members, which includes our church family, we sin against Christ. Ouch! That hits home sometimes, doesn’t it? How do we stop it or avoid it? One step at a time.

We first need to ask God for self-control. We know it is a gift of the Spirit. So, we need to ask God to gift it to us. With self-control, we can stop ourselves from continuing the behavior we have come accustomed to. We can learn to be better, be more like Jesus.

I pray we all ask God to gift us self-control. I pray we seek to be more like Jesus. I pray each one of us will strive to treat our family members better and stop belittling one another. Ask God for self-control. Stop the negative behavior. Treat one another with respect. Show Christ’s love for one another.

1 Corinthians 8:12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Other Gods

Are you aware there are many gods? Do you worship other gods? Do you scoff at the thought of worshiping other gods? Do you believe there are other gods? Why do you doubt? Why do you scoff? Are you willing to open your eyes and see them?

For Christians, there is only one God. In fact, many of us would say there is no other God than God. Yet, we do not always live that way. We often worship many other gods. We simply do not see them as that. We trivialize who they are while they occupy our time and energy.

Who are these gods? Any one or thing that we put above God. They are idols that come in the form of houses, cars, and recreational vehicles. They are idols who are put on a platform by their talent as singers, actors, and athletes. We idolize them and put them ahead of God. We say we don’t. But our actions speak louder than words.

Here’s a quick test. Tally the amount of money you spent on entertainment last year and balance it against what you gave to the church. Tally the amount of money you spent on vehicle payments, house payments, or repairs, and balance that against what you gave the church. If you are like most Americans, the discrepancy is glaring.

No, we will say there are no other gods. Yet, our actions tell us there are. We forget that God is a jealous God and wants to be number one in our hearts, minds, and spirits. He doesn’t like being relegated to the back of our minds and only brought to the forefront when we are in need. As stated in today’s Scripture, we live in God, and everything exists because of Him.

I pray we all choose to make God number one in our lives. I pray we ask for forgiveness for pushing him to the back of our minds. I pray each one of us will stop making other things or people our gods. Put God first. Seek his forgiveness. Set aside other gods. Know that you exist within God.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Use Freedom Wisely

Do you a “know-it-all?” Does it frustrate you to no end that they always think they know the answer? Have you purposely tried to trip them up? Were you successful? Do you come across to others as a “know-it-all?” Do you know that no one knows everything?

We all have encountered someone who thinks they know everything. They give us advice that simply isn’t sound or perhaps completely wrong. They answer questions with full confidence but are wrong. Oh, they know a lot, but not everything.

I know that I have come across as though I have all the answers at times. Or, I have made others feel inferior because of the way I answer or provide advice. I believe we all do at times. Yet, that is not how we should be. Whether we admit it or not, we know we do not know everything. No one can!

The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church that if they think they know something, they do not know what they need to know. He was talking to them about their behavior. They claimed to know there is one God and anything associated with idols had no effect on them. Though they were technically correct, their actions based on their knowledge could cause someone else to stumble.

I wonder how many times my actions have been the reason for someone else to stumble. Have I done something in the freedom I have in Christ that someone else considers to be a sin and they do the same thing, therefore sinning in their own mind? It is a question each of us should wrestle with. We have a lot of freedom in Christ. Yet, we are not to use that freedom to cause someone else to stumble. You see, the closer we are with God, the more we see our freedoms. We simply should not use them incorrectly.

I pray we all grow closer to God. I pray we recognize the freedom we have in Christ. I pray each one of us will use our freedom wisely, not causing others to stumble. Grow closer to God. Recognize your freedom. Use your freedom wisely. Do not cause others to stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:2-3 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Authoritative Teaching

Have you had a teacher that simply amazed you? Was there one teacher that stood out above the rest? Did that teacher seem to know everything there is to know? Did they have an aura about them? Was there an authoritative air about them?

Whether we realize it or not, we are taught in many ways by a wide variety of people. We can easily remember some of our teachers from elementary or high school. We may remember our professors from college. Often there are one or two who stand out in our memory.

Despite having many teachers or even having one who we thought knew everything, we have had no teacher like Jesus. Teachers today teach from a textbook, which is much like the scribes of the first century. They teach what has been written by someone else. They may be well versed in the material and may be able to answer every question posed to them. Yet, they are not speaking of their own accord.

Jesus did not teach from a manuscript. He didn’t need to read the Scriptures and teach on them. He taught with the authority of God. His teaching came directly from God without any interpretation. Because He taught as God, there was an air of authority about Him. He commanded the people’s attention. They were amazed at not only what He taught, but how He taught.

The best we can do to understand is to imagine Him speaking to us as we read what He taught. Our Sunday school teachers and pastors are teaching from what has been written. Jesus is the reason for what is written. He is the master teacher. His authority is boundless. The guidance and direction provided in His teaching is pure, firsthand, and authoritative.

I pray we all see Jesus as the master teacher. I pray we seek to better understand His teachings. I pray each one of us will spend time reading His teaching and viewing it as coming straight from God. Jesus is the master teacher. He speaks as God. He has authority. Read Jesus’ teaching.

Mark 1:21-22 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Corporate Praise

Who do you give thanks to? Who do you give your whole heart to? How do you express your thanks? Do you do so in public? Is it in private? Do you express your thanks at all? Do you give thanks to God and praise him for the blessings he has given you?

Giving thanks can be hard for us. Not a quick, simple, rote statement of thank you but a truly heartfelt thanks. There is a difference between thanking someone for refilling your glass of tea and the heartfelt thanks for a glass of water when you have had nothing to drink for a couple days.

Thanking God for his blessings should be at the top of our list of things to do every day. The mere fact we woke up this morning is a blessing from him. One we too often take for granted. We go through life without recognizing all the blessings God has blessed us with. Don’t misunderstand, I get it. We are busy. We have things to do. And we simply assume it will all continue.

Not only should we give thanks, but we should praise God for his blessings. We should also praise him for his mightiness, awesomeness, and for his love for us. There is so much to praise him for.

And notice where the Psalmist says we are to praise and give thanks—in the congregation. That means coming together as his followers to give him thanks and praise. It is not to be done just quietly in our room. We are to come together, what we call worship services today, to sing his praises and give thanks as the body of Christ. It is in our corporate worship that our thanks and praises are multiplied. We should look forward to the opportunity to be with other followers.

I pray we all join with other Christians to praise God. I pray we come together to give God our heartfelt thanks. I pray each one of us decide to participate in corporate worship services. Give God thanks. Praise God. Participate in corporate worship. Join others in praising and thanking God.

Psalm 111:1

Praise the Lord! 

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, 

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Held Accountable

Do you wish people would do what they are supposed to do? Have you considered there are reasons why they don’t? Do you think they are simply refusing? Do you always do what you know you should do? Are you a responsible person? Do you hold yourself accountable?

During a time when it seems as though every business is short of workers, we can quickly become frustrated. We wait for our food longer at a restaurant. We can’t find someone to help us in the store. There are long lines at the coffee shop. And our frustration builds.

But it isn’t just that there are not enough workers. Those who are working don’t appear to want to do their job. Our patience is tested. Yet are we being unrealistic? Perhaps we are holding them to a higher standard than their manager. Or they may simply not have the skills to do the job they have been hired to do. Maybe they are doing the best they can.

How well are we doing what God expects us to do? He holds us accountable as well. We may quickly discard today’s passage by assuming prophets are a thing of the past and all prophecy has been fulfilled. Not so. The word prophet simply means someone who speaks God’s Word. In other words, the word prophet also applies to pastors, ministers, preachers, and priests today.

You see, we still have men and women who speak the Word of God. They continue to bring the message God has given them to the people. And whether we want to believe it or not, these men and women are inspired by God to bring his message. Being one of them, I can tell you God’s Spirit moves among today’s prophets to proclaim the message God wants proclaimed.

Our responsibility is to listen to today’s prophets. We are to heed the Word of God. For God will hold each of us accountable for how well we heed his Word. It is irresponsible on our part if we do not follow God’s direction. Therefore, pay attention to the sermon and find those nuggets of wisdom God is sharing within it.

I pray we all heed God’s Word. I pray we listen to today’s prophets. I pray each one of us will hold ourselves accountable to heed God’s Word knowing he is holding us accountable. Heed God’s Word. Listen to today’s prophets. Hold yourself accountable. God is holding you accountable.

Deuteronomy 18:19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.